Dystopian fiction made the ultimate comeback this year, and we at THP aren’t mad at it! So many dystopian novels have brought us back into the genre we’ve known and loved since we were teenagers. But these five in particular really caught our eyes this year.
Spanning from less than fifty years to a couple hundred years into the future, these novels have made us think about the world as we know it and where it could be headed. Full of scientific and technological changes that blew our minds, here are THP’s top five dystopian novels of 2025!
Content warning: The Honey POP encourages mindful reading and checking the author’s website for content warnings.
The Dividing Sky By Jill Tew
Let’s start off strong with one of the first dystopian novels that got us back into the genre: The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew! Set in 2364, eighteen-year-old Liv Newman lives in the Metro, earning money by selling memories and emotions to wealthy clients. She ventures to the Outerlands on a mission while on the run from Adrian Rao, a Rookie Forceman determined to track her down. But when Liv loses her memories, Adrian must decide whether or not to arrest her for crimes she doesn’t remember. As the two grow closer and more fond of each other in the Outerlands, their worldviews soon start to fall apart.
Order The Dividing Sky here!
Content warnings: violence, drug use, serious injury, forced captivity, animal death, weapons, medical procedures, PTSD, vomiting, mentions of child trafficking
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JILL TEW:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE
Bound By Stars By E.L. Starling
Next on our list of top five dystopian novels is E.L. Starling’s Bound by Stars! Think if Titanic was actually about a spaceship called the Boundless headed to Mars in 2212. It has the star-crossed lovers element that Jack and Rose have with the characters Weslie (an Earther) and Jupiter (a high-ranking Elysian). A rebel group targets the elite class on this voyage, and things get out of hand quickly when the spaceship starts to fail. There are so many chaotic twists and turns in this sci-fi/dystopian novel, and we have a feeling Weslie and Jupiter’s story will continue.
Order Bound by Stars here!
Content warnings: death by fire, suffocation, and impalement, attempted murder, bodies, classism, parental betrayal, acts of terror, violence, serious injury, blood and gore, attempted drowning, guns and weapons, medical procedures
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT E.L. STARLING:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE
Soulmatch By Rebecca Danzenbaker
Dystopian romance has been climbing the ranks of our favorite genres all year! We have Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker to thank. This novel takes place several hundred years into the future, where a person’s current life (and punishment) is based on their past lives. When eighteen-year-old Sivon reports to the government, she learns that she has a rare new soul. Sivon is thrust into a new job position, one that comes with a frustratingly handsome bodyguard with whom she cannot afford to fall in love. She becomes a target and must figure out who she can trust while also surviving multiple attempts on her life.
Order Soulmatch here!
Content warnings: assassination attempts, death of a friend, suicide, suicide discussions, mentions of child abuse, gaslighting, violence, near-death experiences, panic attacks, threats
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT REBECCA DANZENBAKER:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE
An Ocean Apart By Jill Tew
Jill Tew’s An Ocean Apart takes a Bachelor-style dating show and puts it against the backdrop of 2190 Miami, now known as the flooded Marshes region. Eden Lowell and the Marshers spend every day in survival mode, while the elite class of Cruisers sails the seas in luxury. One Cruiser family hosts a reality TV dating competition for its heir, Theo Desjardins. Eden does everything in her power to infiltrate the show and trick Theo into falling for her. But Theo turns out to be the person Eden desperately needs to help the Marshes. She can’t decide whether her original plan was the right one or if there was a better way to spark change.
Order An Ocean Apart here!
Content warnings: violence, classism, fire, climate change
Coldwire By Chloe Gong
Finally, we’re wrapping up our top five dystopian novels list with Coldwire by Chloe Gong! The first book in her new dystopian series, Coldwire breathes life into a cyberpunk world where most of society subscribes to the virtual reality of “upcountry.” Everyone else must live in the physical reality of “downcountry.” As a cold war between Medaluo and Atahua comes to a head, two girls—Eirale and Lia—hold the secret to a program that could turn the tides of war and change the victor’s fate. Their missions and paths converge to the ultimate twist ending, and we can’t wait to read the next part of their journey.
Order Coldwire here!
Content warnings: death, parent death, mention of suicide, assassination, racism, classism, amnesia, bombs, warfare, weapons
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHLOE GONG:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE
What do you think of our top five dystopian novels? Is dystopian fiction making a comeback in your TBR? Let us know on Twitter! You can also find us over on Facebook and Instagram!
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Julie Dam
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